Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-08-19
A C0MM0hpLACE HERO.
Written for this paper.1

Winter was dying hard, and With its latest
throe sheeted every thing by fall Of sieet;
the north wind held its sway, and tore with
bitter gusts through tile storm driven streets.
Steps and pavements were traps for the un-
wary; telegraph and telephone wires were
down; even stanch poles had been snapped
sheer of between the weight Of the ice and
the force of the wind. But tue sun came out
the next morning clear and bright, flashing
in rainbow tints on a crystal world; and
lineman who was out on the roof Of a seven
story building, creeping down toward the
caves after a refractory wire, caught the
dazzle III his eyes, slipped and fell, but made
a desperate clutch with bis iiumbed hands al
the cave trough, and hung suspended by that
frail support which might give way any in
slant beneath his weight.
People in the street below cried out as they
caught sight of his pelilous position.
ooh, hell be down III a minute"
"He can't draw himself up, for see, it's
breaking away now"
mo. 1t holds yet. Can't something be done
for himf' .f
While they gGzed upward, dazed with hor-
ror and feeling the utter helplessriess of any
| effort to reach him in time, second lineman
| appeared on the roof, sent there, it wouu
, instant TO take in the situation--the cracking
swaying cave trough, the desperately grip
| ping hands, the ghastly, set face of the
| doomed man, who swung over that deadly
| abyss.
"Save him! Save himl came up from the
| street below.
Only the meaning Of the cry reached the
man on the roof, so loud and strong was the
wind which blew there, but he answered as il
he had heard it:
"Tll try. faint no difference to me If It's
| Steve Brady. Maybe as we'll both go down;
| but | reckon we've about elll chances"
He was busy fastening a rope to the nearest
| chimney as he spoke. 1t was not long rope.
| Dut it would reach beyond the edge Of the
| roof. and he made moose in the end Of 1t,
| which he placed around his body beneath the
arms; then taking coil Of wire which he
| carried for repairing purposes from his
pouch, he piled it to the rope few feet far
Their up. and dropping upon hands and knees,
maie his way to the caves.
| Hold fast, Steve" he called, encourag-
ingly; "Tm COMM to help ye. Hang on till
| git a turn of the wire around you--good
| Lord! man; don't you .wriggle or you're q
| gone one in spite of me-"
But IN the same breath with the warning
there was convul~ive effort on the part ol
Ohe suspended man, the parting cave trough.
slipped from his rigid fingers, he was topping
backward, falling into space; the earth, the
| sky, the face of the man above him all blend
| ing IN one chaotic picture before his despair
| ing sight, yet he did not fail; tue arm of John
| Harmon, who had slipped like flash over
| he edge, was about him holding him up,
| while he adjured:
Get hold, get a hold, for Gods salse II
| you vully your life and mine keep your wit,
about you, Steve Brady Now, then, climb
| up the rope. It'll bear the strain, l think.
aud you can get on the roof from my Shout
| ders. Steady; So"
There was a moment of suspense. The
! strands OF the Strahing rope were cutting on
the edge of the states, but the wire which John
had piled to it higher up divided the weight
| and enabled first the one, then the other to
| climb to the roof They stood there painting
| with exertion. looking into each others eyes.
| Them
~ owe my life to YOU" said Brady, "but ]
wish didn't wish I'd dropped down into
| The street afore owed it to your
The cause of the enmity between them!
The usual cause-only a girl Not even
pretty girl as the world saw her. but the one
on whom each OF these men had set his
heart There was something of the coquette
in her, or else she had not yet learned her
own mind, for she had given encouragement
to each, or he thought SO, which amounted to
the same.
The bitterness of feeling that, out of com
mon gratitude, he ought to stand out of his
rivals way, was working in Steve Brady,
but, with the words on his lips, he began to
Il jry
When he came to himself he was In a
strange place, but it was still John Harmon
who was with him and who had this to say:
"Now look here, Steve Brady, don't You
90 to fussin' or worritin'! You've been took
with a spell, and busted a blood vessel in
hardly, through strainin', but you don't want
doctorin so much as quiet an peace of mind
That's why brung you here. This is my
room ami it's in my mothers house, and
want to say to you that III be square an
even with you. l won't take step toward
| SEEM Dolly till you're on your feet again
won't try to get ahead with her through your
misfortin', and l don't want you to feel be.
holden to me- for anything. You'd done as
we'll by me if I'd been in your fix"
The evil spirit in Steve was auelled by this
| generous treatment.
| "You're a better man than | am John
Harmon he cried out "You're more de-
scrvin' of her, too"
al don't know" answered John, ann slow
an you're quick, that's about the difference
1t just depends on which she takes to most
| that's all there lis OF it,"
| Another spirit moved the injured man be-
fore he was conceded by John Harmon to be
! fairly on his feet again
The latter came home late from his work
| one evening.
"How's Bradyl" he asked Of his mother as
10 sat down to the supper which she had kept
| Cor him. "Wants To get out ehl He'll b..
there soon now, but reckon III have to give
MIN the slip to night. She'd he disappointed
| II didn't come round"
ayes" from the mother. "But seems to me
bananys I'D give you better worth for your
money than them there roses, john"
"She wouldn't thinks 81. mother"
| Then door went shut, and Brady, who
was half way down the stairs when those
words arrested him, turned and went I'D
again with his blood on fire. So, this was the
| kind Of faith with him. This was the man
who was more worthy of Dolly than he was
He could hear John splashing the water at
the kitchen sink as he made ready to 20 out,
but Harmon had no idea that a dark figure
on the other side OF the way, when he finally
| reached the street, was that of his rival He